Savanna Dreams
by phantomworks
Summary: A cub has grown up all his life thinking that he was a lion. Now that he has come of age, his mother decides to tell him that he's a human? what's he to do and who is this weird human cub that he must learn from?


Phantomworks: okay, I got this idea from Puzzle Dragon.

**Alice; and no, she didn't plagiarize it.**

Phantomworks; I asked if I could post it and she said that as long as it wasn't too similar, I was good.

**Alice; that being said…**

Phantomworks; go read her story! It is AWESOME! It's called Crimson Claws, Curious Eyes. It is soo good! Seriously! Read it!

**Alice: now before pw here goes on a rant, she doesn't own Yugioh or its characters, only this fanfic. Please support the original author.**

Chapter 1

A child cried out. It was hot and dust burn its eyes. There was no shade for miles around. The baby lay crying as a lioness crept up on it. Sensing no danger, the lioness stalked forward. Sniffing curiously, the scent of humans burned the lioness's nose, but she looked over the cub carefully. The loud cub wouldn't stop wailing. Where were its parents?

Seeing no sign of life within miles, the lioness carefully picked the baby up with its teeth and stalked away into the night.

"Why have you brought us another mouth to feed instead of food?" the lion roared. The lioness crouched over the now whimpering baby.

"He could be a warrior in time. He could bring food to our pride!" the lioness reasoned.

"Yet he is human! You dared to bring that into our pride and think that you would be welcomed?" the lion growled. The lioness hung her head.

"I take full responsibility for him." Another lioness walked forward from the crowd. "If he does not grow up like our own cubs, then we shall kill him. Do you agree?"

The leader looked at his favorite mate hard. She was never one to speak out against him. Why was this time different? "Very well, but if he cannot fight, he will not live."

With that he turned away.

"Why did you protect me?" the smaller lioness asked.

"…" the larger was silent for a moment before she spoke. "One of my cubs has died. Now I only have one left. If it were any other day, I wouldn't speak, but today this little one called out to me."

"I'm sorry about the cub." The lioness hung her head, "we have lost a future warrior today."

"Yes, but we have gained another." The second said. She knew that one day this cub would leave the pride and eventually end up living with the humans, but for now she was happy. "He shall be called… Atem."

Years later, a lithe sun kissed body crept through the tall grass. His mane stood straight up with weird blonde bangs that danced wildly around his face. He narrowed his crimson eyes as he watched his prey graze. His mother, Shania was nearby in case his needed help, but he wanted to prove that he was good enough.

The grass parted before him without a sound and he was nearly within striking range. Suddenly, the prey's ears went up, its head whipping around for danger. That's when he attacked.

He sprung forward with a sharpened rock in his hand. The beast squealed wildly as it tried to turn and run, but he was already upon it. Driving the rock through to the bone in its neck, he tackled it to the ground. The struggle lasted only minutes, better than any of the other lions he knew of. Proudly, he showed off his first prey to his mother when she stepped through the long grasses. Her eyes darkened sadly before looking up at him, which he hadn't expected. Did he do something wrong?

"It is time." She said, beckoning him to follow her back to the pride. Time? For what? Yet he didn't question her, simply dragged the kill behind him as he loped after her. The rest of the pride was lazing around in the hot sun. Some of the other hunters gathered around him to congratulate him on his first kill. He looked through those around him to watch his mother talking with his father.

"Atem. Step forward." his father demanded, a small look of pride on his face. "You have done well on your first kill, my son. However, this also means that you are ready to go out on your own."

He blinked and sat proud. He knew this day would come; it was only a matter of time. So why did he feel so apprehensive? Surprisingly, his mother stepped forward, "I will lead him off of our territory." She offered.

? But she knew that he wouldn't stay any longer on their claimed grounds. So why was she-?

"I as well." Another offered.

"Me too." Again. What was with them? Did they really not trust him to stay off of their territory? He was hurt!

"Well, I'm going hunting." One said and a few more agreed. Finally, someone that _did_ trust him.

"Come along, Atem." His mother flicked her tail across his shoulder to grab his attention.

"Mother, you know I won't-" he began, but was silence by a sudden whap from her tail. To say that he was surprised would be an understatement.

"I said, 'come along, Atem.' You will do well to listen to your mother." With that, she started off, the others flanking him as they progressed quickly across the savanna. The hunting group met up with them quickly after that much to Atem's surprise.

"Mother, I don't understand. None of the other males got this treatment so why am I being treated differently? If anything I'd stay away from the territory much more than them!" Atem whined.

"Don't whine, Atem, it's unbecoming of you. Besides, there's something… something that I have to tell you." Atem's interest was instantly caught. It was rare for his mother to ever pause in her speech so for her to do so _and_ stutter… something was wrong.

"What is it?" Atem asked, sensing that the smaller pride was slowing down. They were already far out of the pride's territory close to the… if Atem was correct, the _human_ territories. Sure enough, the next ridge brought them to the human settlement that they usually stayed away from. "Mother, what's going on?"

"Atem… you are not a lion." She stopped atop the ridge and looked back at him with sorrow in her eyes. "You are human."

His breath caught in his throat. "No, that can't be! I am a lion! I was raised in the pride! My brothers and sisters-!"

"Were not related to you. Atem… look at yourself. You are bare of fur. You have no claws nor fangs nor tail. You cannot be a lion in body." his mother said, padding over to him and nuzzling his forehead, "You may always be a lion in spirit, but it's time for you to live among the humans."

"But… I can't! I don't know how- I-!"

"Hush, Atem. I've already figured this out. Come with me." She dipped her head in the general direction of two other lionesses. Silently, they followed her lead, behind Atem as they stalked forward to one human den that was set much farther apart than the others. Sniffing to make sure that it was the right one, Shania scratched at the door.

All present heard some clumsy thumping, presumably human footsteps before a terrified squeak and clumsier, but much faster footsteps receding from the door.

"Open up! The appointed time has come, Solomon!" Shania growled, scratching at the door. When silence met them, she let out an exasperated sigh. "I knew something like this would happen! Why of all times did he have to go on a _trip?_" she roared. Taking a few paces back, his mother leapt at the wooden object, throwing her whole body weight against it. Said object splinter and shattered to pieces, allowing the lions entrance to the house.

"Hurry, before he gets to a safe place!" Shania commanded, quickly picking up the trail and hounding it through the house. The trail lead through whatever it was they were in (Atem doesn't know much about humans) and up some weird steep hills things (stairs) and to the end of a long enclosure (hallway). There was another wooden object in their way, but this one was much easier to break down.

As soon as that was out of the way, his mother raced inside, the other following at a much slower pace. Her head snuck under the bed and jerked. The next thing all of them heard was a shrieking and some strange words from the human language.

"_Please don't kill me! Please please please! Grampa will come back soon, but he's not here! Leave me alone!" _the human sobbed, though they understood nothing. Shania dragged it out from under the bed but the scruff of his neck… or rather the strange looking things that covered him. She threw him gently to the wall and cut off his escape by placing herself along the bed, daring him to try.

The human looked oddly enough like Atem (or what he knew of from looking in watering holes) with some water running down his face. It was definitely male by its scent, though it seemed like it was still a kit. Presently, it curled into itself, making it as small a target as possible.

"Atem, this is Solomon's grandson. Solomon is known in the animal kingdom as being able to understand animal languages so I thought it best that you live with him while you learned the ways of humans. However, it seems that he has left to go somewhere as is his ways so you will live with this one." Shania explained.

Atem shot the human a look that said 'I have to live with _this?' _Shania cuffed him for that, but continued on. "You have lived as a lion for far too long. You must take your place among the humans." She said.

Then she turned to the human, "Yugi. I trust that you have understood us and that you are willing to help? You will teach my son all there is to know about your people so that he can be accepted. Is that clear?"

The human nodded dumbly.

"I said is. That. CLEAR?" she roared.

"Yes,iunderstandma'am!" he said in a rushed tone. To Atem's amazement, it was in the language of _lions_. Could this kit really-?

"I shall leave now, Atem." Shania announced, turning to leave. Stem gazed after her sadly. Turning back to gaze on her son, she said, "You may not be a lion in body, but you always are in spirit as well as in my heart."

With that, the small pack took off and was nothing but shadows on the savanna leaving Atem in a strange new world where he knew nothing.

Phantomworks; how's that?

**Alice: pretty good…**

Phantomworks; Puzzle Dragon, I hope that you don't think that this is too much like yours. Review!


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